A Visit From the Family
by Southern Steel
Summary: When Daniel's older brother comes to visit, bringing his wife and 2 sons, all seems well. But when Joshua, Daniel's nephew, and Jericho Jones are kidnapped, they have to escape or face the consequences.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hiya!! This is my first Daniel Boone fanfic!! It won't be very historicaly accurate. Daniel Boone did in fact have an older brother named Jonathon Morgan Boone, but I was not able to find any information on him. Mary, Will, and Joshua are all figures of my imagination. Hope you like the story! :) Disclamer: I own nothing **_

_CHAPTER 1 John Morgan Boone and Family_

The sun was at the top of the sky as the wagon slowly rolled down the dirt trail. A man and woman sat side by side in the wagon as it lumbered down the trail. Beside the wagon walked two boys.

The man in the wagon was tall and sported a brown mustache with matching brown hair. The woman was much shorter then her husband. She, unlike her husband, had long blonde hair. They each appeared to be in their late thirties or early forties.

The two boys who walked beside the wagon looked to be around eleven and nineteen. The older one had short black hair and stood about five feet eleven or so. The younger one was shorter, but still tall, possibly five feet eight. He had blonde hair just like his mother.

"Josh!" Jonathon Morgan Boone called to his eldest son.

"Yes, Pa." Josh ran up to walked next to his father.

"Run on ahead and see if you can see Boonesborough." John told him.

"Can I go?" the other boy asked running up behind his older brother.

"I guess you can Will." John chuckled.

"Race you." Will yelled as he took off running.

"Hey!" Josh exclaimed as he raced after his little brother.

John Boone and his wife Mary laughed as Josh easily caught up with his brother, but stayed beside him. In a few minutes, the two brothers were out of sight. In two minutes exactly they were racing back. This time, Josh made no attempt to stay beside his brother and outran Will easily.

"It's just up ahead, Pa." he exclaimed breathlessly. "The fort can't be more then a mile away!"

"All right boys." John said as Will reached the wagon. "Let's go!"

It took about fifteen minutes, but the wagon finally made it to Fort Boonesborough. As the wagon slowly rolled into the fort, men, women, and children paused to watch curiously the wagon and small family.

Pulling to a stop in front of a building that looked as if it served as an inn and a store. Jumping down, John Boone helped his wife down. The two boys joined their father and mother as they walked into the tavern.

Inside was a woman with fiery red hair, a young boy with blonde hair, a girl with long brown hair, a young man with black hair, and an old man with gray hair and beard.

The woman and girl were looking at fabric materials while the young boy and man were sitting talking. The old man walked over from the counter.

"Can I help you folks?" he asked.

"Could you tell us where Daniel Boone lives?" John asked.

"What business do you have with Daniel?" the old man asked.

"He's my brother." John announced, "I'm John Boone, this is my wife Mary, and our sons Josh and Will."

"You're my husband's older brother?" the woman asked, walking over.

The boys immediately removed their hats.

"Are you Mrs. Rebecca Boone?" John asked.

"Yes I am." Rebecca smiled. "We weren't expecting you for a few more days."

"We left earlier then planned." John told her.

"Jemima, Israel." Rebecca called, "Come here for a minute."

The young boy and the girl walked over.

"Yes Ma." Jemima said politely.

"I want you to meet your Pa's brother and his family." Rebecca replied. "This is John, his wife Mary, and their son's Will and Josh." Turning back to John, Rebecca announced, "This is my daughter Jemima and my son Israel."

"Nice to meet you." Mary smiled at them.

"I'm afraid that Daniel is on a hunting trip." Rebecca told them. "But you are welcome to come on and stay with us."

"When is my brother going to be back?" John asked.

"Oh tonight or tomorrow." Rebecca announced. "If you will wait a few minutes we can head on to our house."

John nodded in agreement. They walked over to where some tables where and sat down. Not wanting to sit, Josh walked over to the window and looked out. Will, bored of sitting with his parents, walked over to join his brother. Israel Boone, also bored, walked over and joined them.

"So you two are my cousins?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yep." Will smiled at the young boy, probably ten years old. "I'm Will this is my brother Josh."

"I'm Israel." Israel replied. "If you two are brothers how come you don't look alike?"

"My Ma was a Cherokee." Josh spoke up before Will could, "She died and Pa got remarried later and they had Will."

"I'm sorry." Israel said sincerely.

Josh gave a small smile at his little cousin before turning back to the window.

"So where are ya'll from?" Israel asked.

"Bristol, Virginia." Will told him.

"Israel." The other boy said walking up. "You're Ma wants you over their too try on a shirt."

"Again." Israel whined. "But this is the third time!"

Nevertheless, he ran over to where Rebecca Boone was with a shirt and Jemima.

"I'm Will." Will spoke up, smiling at the strange boy. "What's your name?"

Josh lightly smacked his brother who looked up at him and asked, "What?"

Josh just shook his head and looked back out the window.

"I'm Jericho." The boy told Will, "Jericho Jones."

"This is my brother Josh." Will replied.

"I thought that brothers were suppose to look alike." Jericho said.

"We have different mothers." Will explained as Josh opened his mouth, "My Ma's over their." He pointed to where Mary sat, "Josh's Ma was a Cherokee. After she died, Pa married my Ma."

"So you're half-brothers." Jericho said.

"What's that mean?" Will asked.

"It means that we have different mothers but the same father." Josh spoke up. He looked over at Jericho. "Yeah, we're half-brothers."

"How old are you Jericho?" Will asked. "I'm eleven."

Chuckling, Jericho replied, "I'm nineteen."

"That's how old Josh is!" Will announced, "He just turned nineteen last month! When did you turn nineteen?"

"Two months ago." Jericho told him.

"Joshie!" Mary called, "Willy! Time to go!"

"See you later Jericho!" Will said as he ran over to his mother.

Josh cringed a little at his nickname, but he nodded at Jericho.  
"Nice to meet you, Jericho." He said as he walked over to his parents.

"Nice to meet you, Joshua." Jericho told him.

Then the two Boone families walked out of the store and headed to Daniel Boone's house.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Sorry it took forever to get this chapter up. I've been really busy lately. I hope that you've liked the story so far. Feel free to tell me anything that you think could improve the story. Disclamer: I own nothing :'(_**

CHAPTER 2 Joshua and Jericho

As it turned out, Daniel Boone returned early and got home that night. He was surprised but happy to see his older brother and his family.

"You said you weren't going to be here for at least a few more days!" Daniel exclaimed as he hugged his brother.

"We were able to start earlier then we expected." John explained. "It's good to see you again little brother."

"I ain't so little anymore, Johnny." Daniel laughed.

"I don't think you've met my family yet, Daniel." John said, "This is my wife Mary and our sons Josh and Will."

After the introductions were done, the talk came to were the visitors would sleep. It was finally decided that John and Mary would take Daniel and Rebecca's bed while Daniel and Rebecca slept on the couch. Israel and Jemima would stay where they were in the loft while Will and Josh slept out on the porch.

"Josh." Will said quietly as they lay on the porch.

"Yeah." Josh yawned.

"Do you think we'll be able to stay here?" Will lowered his voice.

"I hope so." Josh replied looking out at the stars. "But even if we don't, I'm going to stay here."

"You can't Josh!" Will whispered sitting up and looking at his brother. "Why wouldn't you stay with us?"

"The reason we can never stay in one place for more then a month," Josh whispered, sitting up as well, "is because of me."

"What do you mean, Josh?" Will asked.

"It's because I'm part Cherokee." Josh told his brother. "Every town that we settle in once they learn that they are afraid of me. They think that I'm going to scalp them or something."

"But you wouldn't do that!" Will exclaimed, his voice rising.

"Sh!" Josh said quickly. "You know that and I know that, but no one else does."

"Do you think we'll be able to stay here?" Will asked.

"I hope so." Josh looked sadly at his brother. "Remember in Uncle Daniel's letters when he mentioned his Cherokee friend? He's a half breed too and he hasn't been run out yet. Maybe here's where we can stay!"

Will looked over at his brother and yawned.

"Go to sleep Will." Josh whispered.

It was a waste of breath because Will was already fast asleep. Chuckling to himself, Josh lay down and fell asleep as well.

/////////////////////////The Next Day///////////////////////////////////////

The next day, Daniel, Josh, Will, John, and Israel went to Boonesborough while the women stayed at home.

"All right boys," Daniel said as they walked into the fort, "John and I have a little business with Cincinnatus then we'll go hunting."

Eager smiles lit up the three boys faces. John and Daniel walked into the trading post leaving Josh, Will, and Israel outside.

It was a hot day and the three boys went over to a shade tree and sat down.

They had sat in silence for five minutes when the boy, Jericho Jones, came over and joined them.

"Hey Israel," he smiled, "Will, Josh."

"Hi!" Will and Israel said in unison.

Josh merely nodded. He was still worried how people would take it when they learned he was half Cherokee.

"Hey Israel have you seen Mingo lately?" Jericho asked. "He's suppose to help me learn Latin, but I can't find him."

"He's still out hunting." Israel told him.

"This Mingo," Will spoke up, "Is he the man who's half Cherokee?"

"Yeah." Israel said, "But he went to England and was college educated."

"Didn't you say you were half Cherokee, Josh?" Jericho asked.

"I didn't," Josh said looking over at Jericho, "Will did. But yeah, I'm part Cherokee."

"That's cool." Jericho said.

"Really?" Josh asked, surprised. "You're not scared that I'm going to scalp you or something?"

"Why should I be scared?" Jericho asked confused.

"Never mind." Josh said quickly. "Forget I said anything."

Though still slightly confused, Jericho quickly became friends with Josh. They learned that they each had things in common. Both had lost their mothers at a young age, both couldn't stay in a town for long though for different reasons. Josh because of his heritage and Jericho because he was an orphan, his father having died several years earlier, and had no want to stay in one place. By the time that John and Daniel came back outside the four boys were best friends.

"All right boys," Daniel said as they walked over to the boys, "Ready to go hunting?"

The four jumped up.

"See you guys later!" Jericho said starting to walk away.

"Jericho, wait a second." Daniel said. "I've talked to Cincinnatus and he has agreed to give you a few days off. Would you like to come hunting with us?"

Jericho's eyes lit up eagerly.

"Are you sure?" he asked though. "You don't want to spend time with your family?"

"I'm sure Jericho." Daniel laughed. "Besides, you practically are family. You come over often enough."

Blushing, Jericho said,

"Sure I guess I'll go."

It was settled and the four boys and two men walked out of the settlement after Jericho ran and got his gun. Stopping at the Boone house to get a gun for Josh and slingshots for Israel and Will seeing as they were too young to carry a gun. After that, they headed into the forest to go hunting.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Here's chapter 3!!!! I hope ya'll have liked the story so far!!! Disclamer: I own nothing :'( _**

CHAPTER 3 Kidnapped

As they walked away from Boonesborough they were allowed to talk. John and Daniel walked side by side in the front. Next came Will and Israel. Josh and Jericho brought up the rear. The two teenagers had fallen far behind the group and Daniel had to turn around regularly and tell them to hurry up. Little did they know that the small group was being watched.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"Do you see them?" a middle aged man asked his partner.

The man who spoke was of average height with brown eyes and matching brown hair. His partner was the exact opposite. He was a tall young man, a few years shy of thirty, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Another man stood slightly behind them. He was the oldest of the three, around fifty or so. He had a small grey beard with matching gray hair and brown eyes.

"Well son," the old man spoke up. "Do you see them?"

"I see them alright," the blonde man said, "But you ain't gonna like this Pa."

"What is it?" the old man asked.

"You told us that it would just be the older Boone's," the blonde man replied, "But they brought the four boys along."

"How old are the boys?" the old man asked.

"Two of them are probably in their late teens," the blonde man answered, "The other two are young, not even in their teens."

"Let me see that." The old man held his hand out for the telescope in his son's hand.

Putting it too his eye, the old man observed the way the group was walking.

"We'll take the two teens," he announced, "They are walking away from the group and will be easier to take."  
"How much are we goin' to ask for 'em?" the brown haired man asked eagerly.

"I think two hundred pounds a piece would be a fair price." The old man grinned evilly. "Hurry and get in your positions. We don't have much time to lose."

With that the three men separated and hurried toward the Boone's group.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"So how long are you going to be stayin' with Daniel?" Jericho asked Josh.

"Not sure." Josh replied, then hesitated. "I guess it all depends."

"On what?" Jericho asked.

"It depends on whether or not we get chased off again." Josh said quickly and quietly.

"Why would you be chased off?" Jericho asked before realization hit him. "You've been chased out of towns for being half Cherokee?"

Josh merely nodded.

"You don't gotta worry about that here." Jericho told him confidently, "People in Boonesborough are more accepting then others. Look at Mingo. He still lives with his village but he ain't been chased off yet."

"Thanks Jericho." Josh rolled his eyes, "That yet makes me feel so much better."

The two laughed and didn't notice that they were out of sight from the rest of the group.

Josh suddenly looked toward the right.  
"What…" Jericho started to say before Josh held his hand up in silence.  
"I thought I heard something." He said after a second.

Jericho looked over to where Josh had pointed out. For a minute they just stood there.

"Come on." Josh said. "We're way behind everyone else."

He and Jericho started to run to catch up when two people suddenly burst out of the woods. Before either boy could react, the two strangers had tackled them and pinned them to the ground.

"Good job, boys." An old man with a gray beard and hair said stepping out of the woods, leading four horses.

"What do we do now, Pa?" The man with brown hair who was on top of Jericho asked.

The old man didn't answer. Instead he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two rags and a bottle. He opened the bottle and poured small amounts of the contents on the rags. He walked over to his sons who were holding the struggling boys on the ground.

The old man looked at each of them before deciding on Jericho first. Bending down, the old man put on of the rags over Jericho's face. The brown haired man quickly let go of Jericho's arm and held the rag on his face as the old man moved over to Josh with the other rag. He repeated the process.

Almost immediately, the two boy's reactions became slower. They didn't struggle as hard until each were put in a drugged sleep. As soon as the two were unconscious, the two men got off of them.

"Tie them to the spare horse." The old man ordered. "Man, I wish we had known ahead of time their would be two of them. Then we could have brought another horse."

The two men easily lifted Jericho's and Josh's dead weight. They forced Jericho on the horse first and tied his hands to the saddle horn. He slumped over in his drugged sleep. They forced Josh up behind him and tied his hands around Jericho's waist.

The old man was already mounted as the other two mounted along side him. Without a word, they rode off, away from Boonesborough and away from the Boone party just around the bend.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Sorry that this chapter has taken forever to be published. My internet has been crazy, I may not have it for awhile. I'll upload whenever I can. feel free to review and tell me what you think of the story. Disclamer: I own nothing._**

CHAPTER 4 The Cave

It was five minutes before Daniel turned around.

"They are going to walk in front of Israel and Will." Daniel announced, stopping.

"Huh?" John, Will, and Israel said in confusion.

"Josh and Jericho," Daniel clarified, "They've fallen behind again."

The other three turned around and sure enough, Josh and Jericho were gone.

"They must be around the bend back their." John said. "I'll go get them."

John jogged around the bend. After a minute, he came running back, without Josh and Jericho.

"They're gone!" he said breathlessly.

Daniel looked at his brother before running around the bend as well. After a few minutes he came back as well.

"There's sign of a struggle." He announced, "Josh and Jericho have been kidnapped."

"Why would anyone kidnap my son and Jericho?" John asked.

"How long, Pa?" Israel asked.

"Not long son." Daniel turned and looked at his brother. "John, you take Israel and Will back to my house while I go after Josh and Jericho."

"He's my son." John argued.

"But I know the area better." Daniel replied, ending the discussion. He turned to his son, "Israel, you be good for John. Don't linger too long in the woods; the kidnappers might still be around. Tell your Ma I'll be home soon with Josh and Jericho."

"Yes sir." Israel nodded.

"I don't know the way back to your cabin." John still hadn't given up looking for his son with Daniel. "I don't want to risk getting lost."

"Israel knows the way." Daniel glared at his older brother, "I know you're worried about your son, John, but if you don't quit arguing and let me go after them, then we may never see them again."

John looked ready to argue with him, but he saw the wisdom behind his brother's words and just nodded.

"Good luck." He said.

Daniel nodded and hurried back down the trail and was lost from sight.

"Come on, boys." John said, staring down the path, "Let's go. Israel, you lead the way."

Israel nodded and turned down the narrow path and lead the way back toward his home.

/////////////////////////////////With Daniel/////////////////////////////////

Daniel had paused only briefly to study the tracks. He frowned as he saw that they had taken Josh and Jericho on horseback.

"They're doubled on one horse!" he suddenly realized.

That would slow them down slightly. Not much, but it would give Daniel time to catch up.

He noticed that they were heading west. Daniel smiled slightly. West led to where Mingo was hunting. If he could find Mingo, he would have a better chance of catching up with them. Determanied to save his nephew and his friend, Daniel set out immediately toward the west at a run.

////////////////////////////////With the Kidnappers////////////////////////

"How much longer, Pa?" the brown haired man complained.

"Not much longer." The old man replied annoyed, "The cave is just a few more minutes away."

They had been riding for a little under an hour and the two captives had

come back around. Now sitting straight up in the saddle, Josh and Jericho

looked very uncomfortable. This fact was not lost on there captors who were

enjoying tormenting the two friends.

"Don't worry you two," the young blonde one said, "We're almost their,

unless of course you're enjoying the ride."

They each blushed, but didn't reply. They each were glad that the ride was

almost over. They hadn't left the woods, at least from what Josh and Jericho

could tell. They had each agreed, talking quietly of course, that they had been

out for about an hour. The bad part was that neither knew exactly where

they were. Josh didn't know the area and Jericho couldn't tell.

Suddenly, they came across a cave halfway hidden in the side of a cliff, but

still easily seen. It was also easily defendable. Their captors had clearly been

planning this for awhile. They pulled up in front of the cave.

"All right." The older man spoke up. "Get off."

The kidnappers easily and quickly dismounted, leaving Josh and Jericho on

the horse.

"We're sorry." The middle aged man teased, "Do the sleepy heads need help?"

He walked over and pulled them off. Surprised, the two fell to the ground

still tied. The blonde man, feeling sorry for them, untied them then held his

gun on them. The old man was digging in his saddlebags for something and the two boys heard the sound of iron clanging against iron. Then the man pulled out leg irons. He tossed them to the bearded man and ordered,

"Put them on them."

"How?" the man asked. "We ain't got but this one pair. Their was only supposed to be him." He pointed at Josh.

"Give them here." The blonde man snapped.

He handed his gun to the man, then took the irons and fashioned one cuff on Josh's leg and the other on Jericho's.

"You do it like that." The man said pointedly as he took his rifle back and turned it on Josh and Jericho.

"Very good, Riley." The old man nodded approvingly, "At least I know I have at least one smart son." He glared at the brown haired man.

"But Pa!" the man objected. "I'm smart too! I'm the one who found this here cave!"

"Your wilderness smart and street smart, Carson." The old man replied. "Not book smart like your brother."

Throwing a mean look at his brother, Carson grabbed the reigns of the horses and led them inside the cave.

"All right boys." The old man addressed Josh and Jericho. "Inside, now."

With two guns pointed at them, Josh and Jericho knew that they couldn't argue. They each turned to walk and promptly fell down. Frowning, Riley pulled each of them up. He motioned with his rifle toward the cave and this time the two boys managed to slowly clamber into the cave. One thing was for sure, they would never be able to escape in these leg irons. It was to slow and to noisy. They would be caught before they made five steps.

With that thought, the two friends walked into the dark cave.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hi there everyone!!! I'm sorry that this chapter has taken forever to get up, the internet finally came back on at my house. Thank you to aureolin for the nice comment. The next few chapters may take a while to get up because I am not really sure what I am going to do next. But I won't quit on this story!!! Thanks to all who read this!! Disclamer: I own nothing you recognize. **_

_CHAPTER 5 _

Daniel traveled relatively fast. The horses made a fairly clear path. The kidnapers clearly had not expected to be followed so quickly and had therefore not tried to hide their trail. He paused only briefly every so often to check and make sure he was following the same tracks. He traveled fast, but the kidnappers had a good head start on him. If they kept going until nightfall, it was doubtful that Daniel would be able to catch up to them.

He had been traveling for over an hour now and the tracks seemed that they would not end for awhile. Just when Daniel was losing hope, he came onto a clearing. He came on it so suddenly that he was surprised and quickly ducked back into the cover of the forest. He studied the clearing in front of him. He couldn't be sure that they were still there, of course, but better safe then sorry. If the kidnappers saw him, they might shoot the boys and ask questions later. He couldn't put them at risk like that.

Then he saw it. He saw the cave. Studying the tracks that he could see, Daniel was certain that they headed straight to the cave. They had to show themselves sometime, he concluded, so he would just settle back and wait for them to make that mistake. Settling down, Daniel waited with his eyes fixed on the cave.

//////////////////////////////////In the cave/////////////////////////////////

Josh and Jericho sat against the wall of the cave. A fire was now burning and the old man and his sons sat around the fire, facing there captives.

"What do you want with us?" Jericho broke the silence.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Carson sneered.

"Now, now Carson." The old man said, "No need to be rude. Why not answer the boy?"

"But pa." Carson objected, but was silenced by a look from his father.

"All right, boy." The old man turned to Josh and Jericho. "We'll tell you. It's quite simple actually. We kidnapped you, to get to your father, Daniel Boone."

Josh and Jericho glanced at each other.

"But what has…Pa done to you?" Josh asked, looking back at his captors. Seeing that his captors didn't know Daniel wasn't his father, Josh decided not to say different.

"What has he done?" the old man said angrily, "It's because of him that I only have two sons! If Daniel Boone hadn't put his nose in our affairs, my other son would still be alive. If Daniel Boone had minded his own business, my son would never have been hung!"

"We don't know what you're talking about." Jericho said, looking over at Josh who nodded in agreement.

The old man sighed. "I guess you deserve to know why you are going to die."

Josh and Jericho looked at each other quickly, there eye's slightly wider, but the old man ignored them and kept on talking.

"My youngest son, Michael was only twenty three when Daniel Boone came into our lives. We had been living high on the hog so to speak. I had come into some money with my tavern and the four of us were living good. Michael had always run around with the wrong crowd. When his friends talked of robbing a bank in the next town over, he followed them to stop them. Daniel Boone had caught wind of there plan somehow and he and the sheriff's men caught them, including my son. They had already robbed the bank and his friends had killed a teller. No one would believe he was innocent. Because no one would say any different and because no one would tell who shot the teller, they hung them all. It's because of Daniel Boone that my son died!"

The old man started crying at the memory of his son. Riley and Carson looked over at their father without a trace of tears in their eyes.

"After Michael died," Riley went on with the story, "Pa went crazy with grief. He sold the tavern and we all headed out here. We've been searching for Daniel Boone for years now."

The story finished, silence ensured.

"But why kidnap us?" Jericho asked.

"We were only going to kidnap Israel, here." Riley said, pointed at Josh. "You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Then let him go." Josh said quickly, "You just admitted that you were never after Jericho. Let him go. It's me you want."

"Can't do that, Israel." The old man said, gaining control of himself. "You know who we are and what we are going to do. He'll just warn Daniel Boone."

"No he won't!" Josh said before Jericho could interrupt.

"I'm sorry Israel." The old man shook his head. "Just can't risk it."

"Then tell us this." Jericho spoke up, "Who are you guys?"

The three looked at each other and laughed. When the finally quit laughing, the old man looked at Josh and Jericho.

"Well boys," the old man replied, "It's only fair. I'm Joe Johnstone and these are my sons, Carson and Riley."


	6. Chapter 6

_**I'm sorry it took forever for this chapter!!! I kinda of got out of Daniel Boone and forgot about this story, but I'm back!! And the next chapters will be up today!!! Hope you like it!!!**_

_CHAPTER 6 The Cave_

Israel, Will, and John walked quickly back down the path. No words were spoken as they looked around, hoping that Josh, Jericho, and Daniel would come laughing out of the forest saying it had been a joke.

"Pa will find them!" Israel broke the silence as they neared the Boone's cabin. "Just you wait! They'll be back before tomorrow evening!"

"I wish I could believe you, Israel." John looked sadly at his nephew, "But I just know my boy is dead."

"Don't say that Pa!" Will snapped. "Josh ain't dead!"

"You're going to have to face it sometime, William." John stopped and gripped his youngest son's shoulders. "I can feel it in my heart, Will. Your brother is never coming back. He and that other boy are dead. All Daniel will find is there mangled bodies."

"No Pa!" Will screamed, shaking loose his father's grip, "Josh ain't dead! You'll see! He's alive and well and he'll be back! Just you wait and see!"

Tears streaming down his face, Will ran to the Boone cabin. Israel glanced at his uncle for a moment before running after his cousin. John stood there, looking sadly at the two boys as they ran into the cabin. Taking one last hopeful glance behind at the empty path, John sighed and walked slowly to the cabin.

/////////////////////////////////////////With Daniel/////////////////////////

Daniel was getting nervous. He had sat in the same spot for over an hour and nothing had changed. He was beginning to think that maybe he had been wrong and the kidnappers hadn't stopped in the cave. Besides that thought, Daniel was also very uncomfortable. An hour of sitting in the same position the entire time, having only moved once or twice, and his muscles had become cramped. Taking a careful look all around, Daniel slowly stood straight up and stretched. He was fully exposed now and, as soon as he realized that, he moved carefully behind a tree.

Suddenly he heard a voice drift in the air to where he hid.

"I'll be back soon! Don't worry so much!"

Peeking around the tree, Daniel saw a man, probably in his late thirties walk out of the cave with a horse.

'They put the horses inside the cave with them.' Daniel thought, grinning in triumph that his patience had paid off.

The problem still remained though, of how to free Josh and Jericho. That would take some thinking. Daniel watched the man as he mounted his horse, pulled out his gun, and rode off into the woods opposite of Daniel.

'It's now or never.' Daniel thought.

This might be his only chance of getting closer to where his nephew and friend where being held captive. Noiselessly, he stood up and made his way toward the cave. He kept on constant alert in case the man should return.

From behind a tree, Daniel studied the outside of the cave, looking for somewhere he could hide until he knew what he was up against. He studied the area for a few minutes before he saw the small crevice close to the mouth of the cave. It was close enough that he would be able to see whoever went in or out, but still be hidden so he wasn't seen. Taking one last look around, Daniel stood and ran toward the crevice.

He made it unseen, or so the lack of bullets in his direction indicated. He slipped behind the rock and into the crevice. The crevice turned out to be a lot bigger then it looked.

"It's not a crevice!" he said aloud, "It's part of a cave! And I bet it leads into the one where Jericho and Josh are!"

Daniel glanced around and, to his surprise, saw a stick he could use as a torch. He picked it up, tore off part of his clothes, wrapped it around the stick, and set it on fire.

"No telling how far this cave goes." He muttered.

Slowly, he started walking down the tunnel, keeping a close watch for any lead offs. After nearly half an hour of searching, Daniel had made no progress.

'Five more minutes.' He thought. 'Then if I have no luck I'll go back.'

The torch was almost fully burned now, it couldn't last much longer. Just then, Daniel saw it: a small crevice that lead into another cave! Daniel was in luck, the branch was just big enough for him to squeeze through.

'Now,' he thought, 'Just how far away am I from the boys?'

To be on the safe side, Daniel walked slowly along the right wall, the way he hoped would lead him toward Jericho and Josh, staying in the shadows and as close to the rocks as he could get.

He continued his slow steady pace until he heard voices up ahead of him.

"We'll give you one more chance, boy." A voice snarled. "If you don't tell us where your father lives, then you'll be in more pain then you already are."

"I've already told you," came Josh's voice. "I'll never tell you! And if you were half as smart as you think you are, you would have figured out where Pa lived before kidnapping us!"

A loud smack suddenly rang through the cave. Daniel winced as he recognized the sound of a hand on skin. His fists tightened as he thought of the men who dared hurt his nephew. Then what Josh said suddenly rang in his ears.

'Pa?' Daniel wondered, 'Why did these men want to know where John lived?'

Another smack echoed down the cave, then another and another. Daniel couldn't take it anymore. He slowly, but with purpose, headed toward the entrance to the cave. He looked straight ahead and could just barely see the light when a voice said,

"Hold it right their mister."

Daniel froze as the sound of a musket being cocked rang in the cave.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Just to clear something up real quick. The way I wrote this, it goes from one group of people to another and then back, so it kinda repeats some things, but that's how I wrote it. **_

_C__hapter 7 What Now?_

"Well boys," the old man replied, "It's only fair. I'm Joe Johnstone and these are my sons, Carson and Riley."

The names didn't mean a thing to either of the captives, but they each knew they were in trouble. From the story they had just heard, the two boys knew neither of them had much hope of living unless a miracle happened.

"Do those names mean anything to either of you?" the old man, Joe, asked.

Josh and Jericho shook their heads no.

Joe frowned. Obviously he wasn't too pleased on not being known to them.

"What are we goin' to do, Pa?" Riley asked. "Daniel Boone isn't anywhere in this area and we don't know where his cabin is."

"What, you mean you learned Pa was in this area, yet you didn't think to look for his cabin?" Josh chuckled tauntingly. "Not very smart of you, Riley."

"Shut up you!" Riley snarled, backhanding Josh across the face. "We did look, but you can't ask very many questions about the great Daniel Boone without drawing attention, can you? No, we had to go to Boonesborough and see the great Boone first, before making any plans. If we hadn't overheard about your Pa's relatives comin' and the hunting trip we never would have found you!"

He slapped Josh across the face again, this time harder. Josh's head flew to the side and blood dripped slowly down from his cracked lip. A hand print was clearly visible on his face. He brought a hand up to his face slowly, wiping the blood and glaring up at the blonde haired man.

"When Pa does get here," Josh said slowly, letting every word sink in, "He's goin' to kill you. And I'm going to enjoy every second of it."

Riley's face paled slightly as he saw the cold fury behind Josh's brown eyes. Walking away, Riley went and talked in a low voice to his father. His brother Carson was still out hunting for sign of Daniel Boone.

"Did you really mean what you said," Jericho asked, "about enjoying his death?"

"No," Josh chuckled, "just wanted to throw a little fear into him. I can be mean if I want to, something I learned from my Mother's people."

"You sure had me fooled." Jericho said as Carson walked back into the cave leading his horse.

"Find anything boy?" Joe asked as his son tied the horse with the other three.

"Someone has been watching this cave for over an hour," the tracker replied, "I found the spot where he had been sitting. He covered it up good, but I could still see it."

"It has to be Boone!" Joe hissed. "Carson, go back in the cave and wait. It's possible he found another entrance."

"Yes sir." Carson said, looking none to happy at having to go back into the cave.

Despite the fact that he didn't want to, Carson grabbed his rifle and horn and walked back into the darkness.

Josh and Jericho looked at each other, each knowing that Daniel would rescue them. It was only a matter of time.

//////////////////////////With The Boone Family////////////////////////////

Israel, Will, and Jemima sat on the porch staring into the woods, each hoping that at any moment, Daniel, Josh, and Jericho would walk out, laughing and saying it had all been a joke. Inside they could here Rebecca and John arguing.

"They've been arguing for over an hour now." Will sighed, tears still staining his face. "Pa never did have much trust in others."

"Don't you worry, Will," Jemima assured her younger cousin. "Pa will be back soon with your brother and Jericho."

"Yeah!" Israel agreed, "Pa'll be back! You'll see!"

"I sure hope so." Will replied sadly.

The door to the cabin opened and Mary walked out, shutting the door behind her. Tears strained her face as she sat down beside her son and pulled him into her grasp. Josh might not have been her blood son, but he was her son none-the-less and she was worried for him.

"Don't worry, Aunt Mary!" Israel said, placing his hand on her arm, "Pa'll be back! He'll save them!"

"I hope you're right, Israel." She said, staring out into the shadowy woods. "I hope you're right."

////////////////////////////////With Josh and Jericho////////////////////////

"It's dangerous now, Pa." Riley argued with his father. "If that was Boone and he did move on, he'll be back. It would be better for us if we got out of here."

"Where do you suggest we go?" Joe asked.

"His cabin." Riley replied with a smirk.  
"His cabin?" Joe exclaimed. "That's suicide boy! Why, if we went within a mile of that place we'd be shot dead! No, better stay here where we have the advantage."

"But Pa," Riley pressed, "we would have the advantage! He wouldn't know we where their! We could easily get the drop on his family and then all we'd have to do is wait till he walked through the front door and then shoot him!"

"I told you, Riley!" Joe snapped, "We're not going to shoot him! Shooting is to good for that low life! He has to be tortured for Michael's death!" he looked over at where Josh and Jericho sat still ironed together. "Kill his son slowly in front of his very eyes and then his son's friend dies until finally we hang Boone himself!"

"Are you sure you don't want to go to his cabin?" Riley asked, clearly disappointed in not leaving.

Joe sighed. "If you can figure out where his cabin is, we'll go."

"Does it matter how I find out?"

"As long as you don't kill him or beat him beyond recognition."

Riley grinned slyly as he walked over to where Josh and Jericho sat listening to the conversation. They looked at each other quickly, fearing what the man was about to do.

Riley reached down and grabbed Josh's shirt and dragged him up. Jericho's leg was yanked out from under him as Josh was pulled up.

"You heard him, boy." Riley sneered holding Josh up by his shirt. "If you don't tell me where you're cabin is, I have permission to beat you till you spill."

"Like I would tell you." Josh replied, spitting in the man's face.

Riley calmly wiped the spit off of his face before punching Josh in the face, letting go of his shirt as he did. Josh tumble to the ground on top of Jericho. Each boy gasped in pain as Riley pulled Josh up again and repeated the question. Over and over again this was repeated, sometimes with a punch to the stomach, sometimes to the face.

Josh was in pain and could barely move as he was pulled once more to his feet.

"We'll give you one more chance, boy!" Riley snarled. "If you don't tell us where your father lives, then you'll be in more pain then you already are."

"I've already told you," Josh summoned up the last strength he could. "I'll never tell you! And if you were half as smart as you think you are, you would have figured out where Pa lived before kidnapping us!"

Riley punched him full in the face, sending him to the ground once more. Josh sat their, weak and in pain. His face was blue and swollen, but his eyes showed more fight.

"If you won't tell me," Riley said, rubbing his sore hand. "Then maybe your friend will."

He pulled Jericho to his feet.

"All right, buddy." He snarled. "Where does Boone live?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Jericho smirked.

Fury raged in Riley's face as he punched Jericho. Two more times he did this, his punches harder and filled with anger.

"Hold on their, Riley!" Carson's voice suddenly rang out from the darkness. "We don't need to know where Boone lives!"

"And why's that?" Riley asked, dropping Jericho to the ground.

"Because Boone is right here!" Carson replied as he stepped out into the light, Daniel Boone walking in front of him.

Josh and Jericho, each in pain from the beating, looked up at Daniel. There eyes dimmed slightly as they realized their only hope of escape was gone, now held captive by their own murderous captors.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

_Chapter 8 Captured_

"Hold it right their mister."

Daniel froze as the sound of a musket being cocked rang in the cave. The barrel of a musket was pushed into his back and Daniel slowly relaxed as his own weapons where taken from him.

"All right, turn around." The voice commanded.

Daniel turned and could barely make out the outline of a man standing in front of him.

"Well if it isn't the great Daniel Boone." The man chuckled. "All right, turn around and walk."

Seeing no alternative, Daniel did as he was told. As they approached the light, the man behind him called out from the darkness,

""Hold on their, Riley! We don't need to know where Boone lives!"

"And why's that?" Riley called back

"Because Boone is right here!" the man behind him shouted back, pushing Daniel into the light.

Daniel's eyes took in the scene quickly. Josh and Jericho sitting on the floor in pain, the man above them with a sore hand, the old man in the corner watching in amusement. Daniel's hands clenched and unclenched as he saw the boy's beaten and bruised faces. The man above them, Riley he guessed, was going to be dead meat when he got his hands on him. No one beat his nephew and friend, no one! But the words that Josh had cried out a little while ago still rang in his head.

'Why do these men want to know where John lives?' he wondered as his eyes sought out Josh's.

"Pa!" Josh exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly. "What are you doing here Pa?"

Daniel was confused at his nephew calling him "Pa", but he went along with it.

"What's it look like?" he said, "I'm here to rescue you."

"I told you, Israel!" Jericho said looking over at Josh, praying Daniel understood what he was saying. "I told you he would sneak around back!"

"I guess you win." Josh agreed, glancing at his uncle. "He did come around through the cave to save us. I knew he would remember that cave."

"Guess it's up to Mingo to come and get us now." Jericho nodded, thinking fast.

"Shut up you two!" Riley snarled, kicking them both in the ribs.

Daniel's eyes flashed in fury as he saw the two boys in pain. He didn't understand completely why Jericho was calling Josh "Israel", but he would go along with it. All he knew for sure, right now, was that these two boys were in pain.

"Who are you and what do you want with these boys?" Daniel barked, trying to gain control of himself.

"You don't recognize us do you, Boone?" Joe said calmly, walking over to Daniel. "Maybe you remember my son, Michael? The one you had hanged!"

Then it clicked. Daniel remembered a few years ago, the bank robbery and how he had helped stop them. He mostly remembered the hanging. How when the one boy hung, how a man had looked over at him and screamed that he would get even. There was no doubt in Daniel's mind that this was the same man.

"I remember." Daniel nodded, at a loss for words.

"Then you understand why we must kill you." Joe continued.

"I understand why you are going to try and kill me," Daniel replied, "But why the boys? You want me, not them."

"That's where you're wrong mister." Riley snarled, glaring down at Josh and Jericho.

"You killed my son," Joe continued, "The Good Book says "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." I say a son, for a son. You killed my son, so know I'm going to kill your son and then you."

"Then why did you take Jericho?" Daniel asked, stalling for time.

"He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Joe shrugged. "Unfortunate for him, we can not allow witnesses to leave here alive." He paused, before giving a command. "Unshackle them, Riley, and put them on Boone's legs instead."

"You want me to tie them up too?" Riley asked as he took the key from his pocket and removed the shackles.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Joe replied, "As long as we have Boone here, they won't try anything. And as long as we have them, Boone won't try anything."

"You're making a mistake, mister." Josh tried as he rubbed his ankle to get the circulation running again.

"And why is that, boy?" Carson asked sarcastically.

Josh looked at where Riley crouched on the floor in front of Daniel before replying.

"Because Mingo and a whole bunch of Cherokees are standing right behind you."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Very short Chapter 9!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

_Chapter 9 A Daring Escape_

"Because Mingo and a whole bunch of Cherokees are standing right behind you."

At the word "Cherokees" their three captor's heads spun around to look into the darkness in the cave. Daniel quickly kicked out with his leg, hitting Riley in the face. Jericho jumped up and rushed at Carson, knocking the guns from his hands. Only Joe was left. He saw what was happening and barely turned around in time to see Josh heading straight at him.

Josh tackled him head on, sending them both crashing to the ground. They all struggled. Daniel quickly overcame Riley with a punch that sent Riley's head spinning. Jericho also sent Carson a blow that knocked him out. Josh, however, was not faring as well. He was greatly weakened from the beating he had taken, and Joe was stronger then he seemed. Josh was on the bottom of the two, being pummeled by Joe. Daniel rushed over and pulled the man off of his nephew.

"Leave my nephew alone." Daniel ordered before punching Joe.

"You okay, Josh?" Jericho asked as he helped Josh up.

"As good as can be expected." Josh replied, wiping the blood from his face.

"What made you think of saying that Mingo was here?" Daniel asked.

"Jericho mentioned that it was up to Mingo to come and rescue us," Josh explained, rubbing his sore jaw. "We had already thrown his name out, might as well use it again."

"Good thinking, Josh." Daniel smiled as he grabbed some rope and proceeded to tie the three Johnston's up. "Are you two ok?"

"We're fine!" they assured him.  
"All right then." Daniel said, deciding to leave the nursing to his wife and sister-in-law. "We'll all have to ride double, but we should get home right after nightfall."

Josh and Jericho smiled at the thought of home.

"Help me lift these two up." Daniel suggested.

With all three working to get Riley and Carson on one horse, and Joe on the other, they were done in no time. With Riley and Carson tied in the same way that Josh and Jericho had been just hours before, Daniel mounted up behind Joe, leaving the other horse to Josh and Jericho. The sore boys climbed on stiffly as the headed out of the cave and on home.


	10. Chapter 10

_**So I changed the ending of this chapter because I haven't gotten any ideas for a sequl. I'm sorry to all who were waiting for a sequel, but I just can't do it. So the ending is pretty pathetic and corny, but I hope you enjoyed the story any how. :)**_

_Chapter 10 Home Sweet Home_

Daniel was right. The three horses arrived at the Boone's cabin right after nightfall.

"Pa! Pa!" Israel Boone was the first to greet them.

They could hear Jemima inside crying "They're here! Ma, they're here!"

The whole family was on the porch before anyone could dismount.

"Josh!" Will shouted, running at his brother as he dismounted.

Though sore, Josh grabbed his little brother and swung him up into a hug before setting him down painfully.

"Oh, Joshie, you're hurt!" Mary cried, grabbing him by the shoulders and examining his face.

"I'm fine, Ma." Josh said, blushing.

"Thank you, Daniel." John said quietly, tears in his eyes. "I never should have doubted you."

If Daniel heard his brother, he soon forgot about him as Rebecca rushed from the house at him.

"Oh Daniel!" she exclaimed, hugging him and giving him a kiss. "What took you so long."

She looked over at where Jemima and Jericho where standing, hugging. She smiled softly before giving Daniel another kiss.

"Becky," he said quietly, "Get the medical stuff out. Josh and Jericho were beaten."

"Beaten?" Becky gasped before rushing into the house.

"John, you get the boys inside. I'm gonna run these prisoners to Boonesbourough until we can take them to Salem." Daniel explained as he climbed back onto the horse.

"All right, Dan." John agreed.

Mary was already helping Josh into the house so John helped Jericho stumble after them. Daniel grabbed the reins of the other horses and turned toward Bonnesbourough. The prisoners gave him no trouble as he lead them into the fort and threw them into the building that would serve as there temporary jail. Leaving Cincinatus as a guard, Daniel went back home to where his family was waiting for him.

Within two weeks, Josh and Jericho were each back in full health. The whole family made the trip to Salem to be at the Johnstone's trial. As was expected, the three were sentanced to jail for thirty years for kidnapping and asault.

Despite many arguments, John Boone and his family eventualy decided to stay on at Boonesebourough. A cabin went up fairly quickly and by winter, there was a new family in Boonesbourough.


End file.
